Blogging Through the Year

Found this fun meme at D...'s blog, who found it at Patois' blog - so I had to get in on the action!

Post the 1st sentence (or 2) from the 1st post of each month of 2007 - I'm even doing links, like D... did! This ought to be a fun way to look back on the year....

January - "My favorite part of New Years is starting a new calendar. It's like a clean slate - open to all the possibilites of things I will do throughout the next year."

February - "Take a look at my new nephew!!! Isn't he beautiful?!?"

March - "Just got home from spending a wonderful week in my Happy Place - Disney World."

April - "Baseball is back, and our Houston Astros played the Pittsburg Pirates tonight at Minute Maid Park."

May - "Inspired by cjh, who was inspired by geek and 10 on Tuesday, here is my list of Ten Movies That Make Me Cry (this was not a stretch for me because almost ALL movies make me cry!):"

June - "OK, all you dream interpreters - figure these out!" (This is actually the 2nd post for June because the first was a Friday's Feast.)

July - "I got an e-mail from an old friend recently and she told me that she and her husband were getting ready to build their "dream house". That got me to thinking - what defines one's "dream house"? "

August - "Tomorrow morning - and Saturday morning - I'll be up bright and early for My Big Fat Garage Sale." (This, too, is the 2nd post of the month because the first was Wordless Wednesday - thus NO WORDS!)

September - "Not one but TWO awards for me this week! Wow - I'm feeling really special right now."

October - "That's what a cancer diagnosis is. A sucker punch. Life can be going along just fine and then BAM! You're battling a serious disease."

November - "Poor Thanksgiving. Now that Halloween is over, it seems we are headed straight to Christmas!"

December - "We're home from another fabulous trip to Disney World!"

Now THAT was fun! What a great way to look back on the year! Happy New Year, everyone - may 2008 be even better than 2007 for you!

Friday's Feast #26

It's the final Friday's Feast of 2007!


Appetizer
Name 2 things you would like to accomplish in 2008.
1. significantly decrease debt
2. travel someplace I've never been before

Soup
With which cartoon character do you share personality traits?
Minnie Mouse - because I love Mickey!

Salad
What time of day (or night) were you born?
Dinner time - about 6:00 in the evening.

Main Course
Tell us something special about your hometown.
I still live in my hometown! I like it because, as I mentioned in a previous post, I'm half-way between the big city of Houston and the historic coastal city of Galveston.

Dessert
If you could receive a letter from anyone in the world, who would you want to get one from?
an old friend I haven't seen or heard from in a long time

These times they are a-changin'.

When I was about Daughter's age - 13 or 14, I guess - I read Judy Blume's book Forever. It was very scandalous - pretty explicit sex, if I remember correctly - and I and all my other friends hid it in other books so our parents wouldn't know we were reading such stuff. It felt kinda naughty.

Tonight I was in Barnes & Noble and saw this book in the Teen section - featured on an end-cap with other romance novels for teens! I was shocked! Shocked, I say! Times sure are different now, aren't they? I just don't think I'm ready for Daughter to be reading that kind of stuff yet. I know she's not completely naive, but still. Thankfully she prefers historical fiction and fantasy right now. But nothing is forever.

Wordless Wednesday - Christmas Piggy

The Gift of Love and Friendship

Last night we celebrated Christmas with D's family - we had a fabulous dinner at our favorite restaurant (complete with apple pie, of course!) and came back here to exchange presents. D really oudid herself. The first gift I opened wasn't exactly from her - it was from Coastie Bro, and it's a spoon from the place he was stationed so long! THANK YOU, Coastie Bro! You know I've been wanting one! Next I opened the cutest. mug. ever. D knows I drink hot tea every morning, and now I can drink it from my awesome Elvis Christmas mug - on the back it says "Merry Christmas, Baby!" I love it. But the last gift - well, it brought me to tears. D made a CD for me - the cover of it has our picture on it, and it is titled "Of Best Friends, Queen Sloths, & Apple Pie Splurges". And it has 20 songs of love and friendship on the CD - 20 songs she chose and downloaded just for me.



I am so blessed to have D in my life - to be my friend, my rock, my confidant. I love you, D. Merry Christmas.

And Merry Christmas to all you bloggers out there - and God bless us, every one.

Wordless Wednesday - My Home for the Holidays

Ten New Year's Resolutions

It's hard to believe a new year is nearly upon us - I'm not much for resolutions, but here's my offering for this week's Ten on Tuesday - Ten New Year's Resolutions:

1. get our finances in order and stay on budget (hmm...this seems to be on my list EVERY YEAR)
2. read more - I used to read a lot, but now I seem to spend more time on the computer and less time with a good book
3. in relation to #2, read my Bible more; I need to spend more time in God's word
4. worry less, which should be easy if I do #3
5. get more exercise - ever since I stopped teaching dance I have become rather, um, sedentary; I need to get back into some kind of physical exercise, be it dancing again, walking, whatever
6. travel someplace that I've never been
7. take more pictures of our everyday lives and not just holidays and vacations

Only 2 weeks left in 2007! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!

Sole Survivor

Finally the person I was rooting for won Survivor! Congratulations, Todd! You outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted - in my opinion, you played a helluva game. You deserve the $1 million.

Next stop for Survivor - Micronesia. The fans vs. the favorites. Should be interesting!

Island Christmas

One of the things I love about living where I do is that I'm half-way between the big city of Houston and the historic Gulf Coast city of Galveston - granted, Galveston beaches are not the most beautiful beaches, but I still love living this close to the coast. I love the water, the boats, the fresh seafood, the sound of the seagulls and ocean waves. My house is even decorated in a beach/nautical theme. It's part of who I am.

Today our family - my parents, Hubby, kids and I - spent the day at The Strand on Galveston Island. We shopped the quaint shops and had a delicous meal at Willie G.'s - we started off with raw oysters served on the half-shell - delicious!

Then Hubby and I split the Shrimp Platter, a feast that would make Forrest Gump proud: shrimp gumbo, stuffed shrimp, fried shrimp, blackened shrimp, shrimp creole and shrimp au gratin. It was fabulous!
Of course everything was decorated for Christmas, and I even bought a few ornaments for my tree.

We topped off the evening with chocolates from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Even tho it was windy and cold, we had a great day. No stress - just a day with the family enjoying the Christmas season.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Now let the comments about how gross you think raw oysters are begin!

Friday's Feast #25

Happy Friday - Happy Feasting!

Appetizer

Make up a word and give us its definition.

Wonky - not sure if it's a real word or one I made up, but it means screwy or messed up

Soup

What is currently your favorite song?

Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Christmas Eve Sarajevo

Salad

What’s at the top of your Christmas wish list this year?

a new digital camera

Main Course

Name a scent that reminds you of someone special in your life.

Pond's cold cream will always remind me of my grandmother

Dessert

Who is someone on television that you feel probably shouldn’t be, and why?

Howard Stern, because he's a lewd jackass

Wordless Wednesday - Christmas Light Spectacle

Here's what's going on at my house.....

Except we're not British...

Ten Things I Want for Christmas

Another tough Ten on Tuesday for me this week - I really don't want much for Christmas, and some of the stuff I do want is expensive and I don't expect to get it. But since I didn't play last week, I'll take a stab at it this week.....

1. a new digital camera
2. new comforter for my bed
3. chair or loveseat for my den
4. bubble bath
5. pajamas
6. clothes - mainly cute tops to wear with jeans
7. silk plants for the plant ledge in my bedroom
8. money to pay off bills

That's really all I can think of! I'll be happy with whatever I receive - we all know it's not about the gifts anyway. Happy Tuesday!

Do they know it's Christmas?

This was 23 years ago. How much has changed?

On the 13th day of Christmas my true love gave to me....the overlimit credit card bill.

Wow. According to this article, the true cost of the 12 Days of Christmas is $19,507! That's a lot of money, yo. Here's the breakdown:

I wonder how much all of those items will be selling for on eBay after Christmas?

No Winter Wonderland here...

Houston Metro Forecast
WARM WEATHER ALL WEEKEND!

With moisture and warmth moving into the area over the last 24 hours, we've seen high temperatures around 80 degrees. Expect this warm pattern to continue on into the weekend. However, with moisture building, we have a slight chance of showers on Saturday, and a better chance on Sunday. Each night we'll have sea fog at the coast and patchy fog inland, so be careful! It won't be until Wednesday that we see a big cool down with a cold front rolling through.

Friday's Feast #24

Time for another Friday's Feast!

Appetizer

What was the last game you purchased?

I purchased a game as a Christmas present just today! Can't say what it is tho....shhh!

Soup

Name something in which you don’t believe.

Aliens

Salad

If you could choose a celebrity to be your boss, who would you pick?
Matthew McConaughy - he seems pretty laid back and oh-so-nice to look at!

Main Course

What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way?
Getting married too young (not to current hubby).

Dessert

Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room.

Dim lights, soft music, a hot bubble bath, candles....aaaahhhhhh!

Elfin' Hilarious!

Sometimes I watch this just to make myself laugh.

Yep, that's the Bubba's Sis Family.

Merry Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday - Happy Birthday, Walt

The Reason for the Season

This is on D's blog, and it's so precious I had to put it on mine, too....

"Logan is a 13 year-old boy who lives on a ranch in a very small town in Nebraska. Logan listens to Christian Radio station 89.3FM KSBJ which broadcasts from Houston, TX. Logan called the radio station distraught because he had to take down a calf . His words have wisdom beyond his years. Since airing the audio of the phone call and now the making of the video clip, it has taken on a life of its own. People are forwarding it all over the world. We encourage you to share the love of Christ with anyone you can.

(**Sky Angel is a family safe broadcasting service that is offered on satellite. KSBJ is a local Houston Christian music radio station. Video clip produced with love by Frank Lozano. Hear the entire message at ValenicaHills.com)"

O Christmas Meme, O Christmas Meme...

Found this one over at The Middling Monettes and it just seems more cheery than this week's Ten on Tuesday list (Your Ten Favorite Things to Complain About):

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

Both! All my wrapping paper and gift bags match, of course - this year it will all be Disney wrapping!

2. Real tree or Artificial?

I love a real tree, but because of the cost we have an artificial one. I must admit, it is nice that it just unfolds and is pre-lit! But I miss the smell of a real tree.

3. When do you put up the tree?

Usually the first week of December - we don't have ours up yet this year, but hopefully this weekend we will.

4. When do you take the tree down?

Before New Year's - by then I'm over it.

5. Do you like egg nog?

Yes! But not with bourbon in it. Just plain, please.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

A Madame Alexander baby doll

7. Do you have a nativity scene?

I have three!

8. Hardest person to buy for?

Hubby

9. Easiest person to buy for?

Darling Daughter

10. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards?

Definitely real mail. I love sending Christmas cards!

11 .Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

I've gotten some pretty ugly jewelry - no, not from Hubby!

12. Favorite Christmas movie?

Hands down, Christmas Vacation.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

Usually in November - but I've only bought one gift so far this year!!!! (It's D's!)

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?

Kinda - when I was a dance teacher I got a lot of "teacher gifts" from the kids - I have taken one or two of those things to gift exchanges at parties. Does that count?

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

chocolate covered cherries

16. Clear or colored Christmas lights?

clear

17. Favorite Christmas song?

"O Holy Night" or "Mary, Did You Know?"

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?

There's no place like home for Christmas!

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder and Blitzen. And Rudolph!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?

We've had both - right now we have a star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

The kids get to open ONE present Christmas Eve - and it always turns out to be pajamas! The rest must wait until Christmas Morning.

22 . Most annoying thing about this time of year?

The CROWDS!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?

All the ornaments on my tree match the theme of my house - nautical/beach.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?

Honeybaked Ham

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?

I would love a new digital camera. One like D's - she let me use it on our vacation and I didn't want to give it back! Hey, D - you should give me your camera for Christmas!

MAY YOU ALL HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS SEASON!

No More Dancing

I'm so sad. It's Monday and there's no Dancing With the Stars to watch! I missed the finale while I was on vacation, but it was the first thing I watched on the DVR when I got home and I was SO HAPPY that Helio and Julianne won!! It was another great season!

Honey! I'm home!

We're home from another fabulous trip to Disney World! This was our first time to fly there - we usually drive. I'm very scared of flying, but I did fine. Little Son, however - notsomuch. He threw up three times in the two-hour flight out there. Poor little guy. We were smarter on the way back - gave him some Dramamine and he slept most of the way home. It was his first time to fly - and he says his last.

We had a wonderful week and we came home full of the Christmas spirit from all the beautiful Christmas lights/decorations/events we saw there. Cinderella's castle really does look like the picture I have below. It's awe-inspiring. We also came home exhausted. Good thing we have the weekend to recover!

So it's back to Real Life for us. Sigh. We're already thinking of when we can go back.

Yeah, we've got it bad.

See ya next week!

Aggies win!

The Texas Aggies beat the Texas Longhorns 38-30! Whoop!

Blessings!

Wordless Wednesday - Cinderella's Christmas Castle

(Yeah, I'm rubbing it in just a little!)

Ten Things I'm Thankful For

I'm doing the alternate Ten on Tuesday list this week, because I couldn't come up with Ten Reasons It's Great to Be a Woman (how sad is that?). Happy Thanksgiving to everyone - here are Ten Things I'm Thankful For:

1. Jesus Christ being my Savior
2. my wonderful family
3. my dear friends
4. the roof over my head
5. the food on my table
6. my health and the health of my family
7. my church family
8. my dogs
9. being able to stay home with my children
10. Disney World!

I want a Once Upon a Time.....

The World I've Dreamed of Lately

I'm leaving Saturday!

Recipe for ME

Found this over at Stacey's blog - fun stuff!

Bubba's Sis - a dash of charm - a pinch of trustworthiness - a dash of beauty Combine all stirring until smooth.

'What is your personality recipe?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Friday's Feast #23

A late Friday's Feast for me this week:

Appetizer

What was your first “real” job?

I bussed tables at Piccadilly Cafeteria.

Soup

Where would you go if you wanted to spark your creativity?

to a dance production

Salad

Complete this sentence: I am embarrassed when…

I have a big pimple.

Main Course

What values did your parents instill in you?

love of Jesus, love of family, strength through adversity

Dessert

Name 3 fads from your teenage years.

parachute pants, big hair, Swatch watches (guess when I was a teenager?!?)

Wordless Wednesday - Whale Tail

Ten Songs That Bring Back Memories

This week's Ten on Tuesday list is a good one for me - I love music! Music has always been such a big part of my life - I'm a dancer, a hopeless romantic, a sentimentalist....my list could go on much past ten, but here are Ten Songs That Bring Back Memories (and why!):

1. New Orleans Ladies by Louisiana LeRoux - when Hubby and I were dating this was the song we loved to dance to at the C&W club where we met - and it was the song we were dancing to the first time he kissed me. It will always be "our song".


2. On Broadway - when I was on the drillteam in high school we did a dance to this song every year at a football game halftime show (of course it was the high school band playing and not George Benson singing); I have fun memories of being on the drillteam.


3. Take My Breath Away by Berlin - another high school memory - my senior year, this was the song played when the Homecoming Queen was crowned (no, it wasn't me). For years and years it had always been a cheerleader who was crowned Homecoming Queen, but this time it was a member of our drillteam - we were so proud! Then it went to her head and she got all hoity-toity, so whenever Queen T would walk into the room we would sing behind her back in our breathiest voices, "Take my breath away...."


4. Rocky Mountain High by John Denver - this song brings back memories of my childhood, when my parents would listen to John Denver's albums - I can remember it being spring and Mom had all the windows open, she was cleaning house and this song was playing - I don't know why this stands out in my memory, but it does. Just carefree childhood days.


5. Because He Lives brings back memories of my grandmother - it was her favorite hymn, and we sang it at her funeral.


6. Jack and Diane by John Cougar Mellencamp - reminds me of the summer of 1983, when Wendy Bird and I went on a road trip with our grandparents (you can read about that here).


7. Fishin' In The Dark by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - reminds me of someone I once loved and the summer we spent together - it was his favorite song, and we did go fishin' in the dark.


8. Jump by the Pointer Sisters - I did a really fun dance to this song once, and I can still remember parts of it! I learned it at a dance camp with a great friend of mine and we had a ball with it.


9. Never Say Goodbye by Bon Jovi - yet another high school memory! My senior class voted this to be our class song but the school administration didn't think the lyrics were appropriate so we had to change it. I don't even remember what it ended up being - this song will always make me think of my senior year in high school.


10. Dude Looks Like a Lady by Aerosmith will instantly flash me back to the first time I rode Rock 'N Roller Coaster at Disney MGM Studios - it scared the crap out of me and thrilled me at the same time - check out my crazy, adrenaline-pumped mug just after I got off the ride with Little Son:

That's my musical trip down Memory Lane for this week - Happy Tuesday!

Cranberry Bread

All who know me know that I am not a fan of cooking. It's just not my thing - I'm not very good at it, I don't enjoy it, and preparing a meal is more of a chore to me than a pleasing thing to do. I do cook, or we would go broke eating out every meal, but like I said, it's not my favorite thing to do. Sometimes I do bake - I'm better at that - but always from a mix. I'm especially good at a Bundt cake or a pan of brownies.

HOWEVER, once a year I reach to the back of my pantry and pull out the scratch and make homemade cranberry bread. It's that time of year. I made the first loaf of the season yesterday and it turned out great - I gave half the loaf to D, and the kids and I ate the rest! So I'll be making more today. It's an easy recipe - I've had it for years and it's certainly not secret. I got it off the back of a book I had as a child called Cranberry Thanksgiving. I tweaked it a bit because I don't care for nuts or raisins, but my version is pretty close. And quite delicious, I must say. So, faithful readers, today I share my cranberry bread recipe with you:

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup orange juice

2 cups fresh cranberries, chopped

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add egg and orange juice all at once; stir just until mixture is evenly moist. Fold in cranberries. Spoon into a greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes (check at one hour), or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan, cool and enjoy!

Dinner Company

After a long day of shopping at Houston's annual Nutcracker Market * yesterday, Bubba's Mom and I were in no shape to cook dinner (well, let's face it, I'm rarely in any shape to cook dinner, but anyway....). So the whole family headed to a small, local Italian restaurant for dinner. This place has been here for 40 years - just a bit longer than I have - and I've been eating there all my life. It's not a chain restaurant - but a great place to go for good, inexpensive Italian food. When we got to the restaurant there were only two other people there - an older man eating alone, and a youngish (30 maybe?) woman, also dining alone at a booth on the other side of the small room. We took our table for six somewhere between them, just as the woman was asking the man if she could join him. As we ordered and shared stories of the day, I noticed that the older man did not speak English very well. He had what sounded to me like a German or Russian accent. I strained to eavesdrop on their conversation over the chit chat of my husband, children, and parents - the young woman asked the man what brought him to town. "NASA" was his reply. And so they talked, her slowly, and him in broken English, and they shared a meal and a bottle of wine. I overheard a story of Chicago and of travels somewhere in Europe (why couldn't my family be quiet so I could hear better?!). I found myself wanting to join them, too. At the end of their meal they each paid their separate checks and parted ways. I like to think each of them went home with a smile on their face because they did not eat alone that night. Their lives intermingled for just a short time and it was good. You don't see that kind of thing too often anymore. I thought it was a neat thing to witness.

*Check out the link - it's a pretty awesome event!

Friday's Feast #22

Friday's Feast is served! Enjoy!

Appetizer

Which snack do you like to get when you go to the movies?

Milk Duds!!!

Soup

What year did you start using the internet?

I think it was 1996 or 1997 - I was pregnant with Little Son.

Salad

What is your first name in Pig Latin? (Here’s how to speak it if you don’t already know!)

Illjay

Main Course

Name something you are picky about.

my calendar

Dessert

Fill in the blanks: I ____ ____ yesterday and I ____ ____ today.

I earned money yesterday and I spent money today!

Wordless Wednesday - Carrousel

Ten Words to Describe Me

Ten on Tuesday is back, with a whole new look! Check it out! And here's Ten Words to Describe ME:

1. Christian
2. loyal
3. anal organized
4. compassionate
5. funny
6. loving
7. lazy laid-back
8. dog-lover
9. smart
10. petite

Go!

Last night was the premiere of the 12th edition of The Amazing Race! I LOVE THIS SHOW! Eleven teams started out from Hollywood, California and flew to Ireland (the home of my ancestors!) for some amazing tasks and adventures. I already have some favorites among the teams (and some not-so-favorites); I think this is going to be a great race!

Did anyone else watch?? Who do you like/dislike? Let's dish!

Friday's Feast #21

Enjoy my Fall Friday's Feast, ya'll!


Appetizer
How much money do you plan to spend this upcoming holiday season?
as little as possible - budget, budget, budget!

Soup
What was the last television show you watched, and was it good?
I watched CSI last night and it was good.

Salad
If you had to paint the walls of your living room tomorrow, what color would you choose?
This one's tough because I LIKE the color of my living room walls! If I HAD to change them I guess I would pick yellow.

Main Course
Name something clever or practical you have thought of that should be invented, but hasn’t yet.
I'm not that clever.

Dessert
List 3 things you would like to receive as gifts this upcoming holiday season.

1. a new camera
2. clothes
3. bubble bath

The Forgotten Holiday

Poor Thanksgiving. Now that Halloween is over, it seems we are headed straight to Christmas! All the Christmas stuff is out in the stores, even some decorations up around town. The shopping frenzy has begun, and it's just a matter of time before Santa shows up at the mall.

But what about Thanksgiving? How sad that in the flurry to spend our money on material possessions and holiday decorations that we overlook the day we should be giving THANKS to Him who gave us all that we have! Thanksgiving is truly the red-headed stepchild of the holidays - no one decorates their yard, there are no presents, no giant turkey at the mall to sit upon and tell our wishes. To most people Thanksgiving is just a day to eat like there's no tomorrow and watch football on TV. Many will already have their Christmas trees up (not me). Some will enjoy a 4-day weekend (not Hubby - he has to work the Friday after).

This year I'm not starting my "Christmas season" until after Thanksgiving. We are kicking it off with a trip to Disney World the week after Thanksgiving - our first time to see it in all its Christmas finery. After celebrating with Mickey and friends we will come home, put up our tree and decorations, and begin the beautiful Advent season. The most wonderful time of the year.

Just don't get too hurried! Take time to be thankful. Celebrate Thanksgiving for what it is - not just for the turkey and football.

Wordless Wednesday - Haunted Mansion

Shock and Dismay

Tonight Sabrina Bryan was eliminated from Dancing With the Stars. She was, hands down, the best dancer on the show. How did this happen?!?

Birthday Bubba

Everyone stop over at Bubba's Blog and wish him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY today! He's the best brother anyone could hope for - I love him so much!

I'm still Mom and Dad's favorite, tho.

Happy Birthday, Dude.

Ten on Tuesday the Halloween Version

I'm not sure what's going on over at the Ten on Tuesday website, but it appears to be malfunctioning again. So I'm doing my own list again this week! I present to you:

Ten Halloween Costumes My Children Have Had

1. Garden Fairy (by far Daughter's cutest costume - she was 19 months old)
2. Pumpkin (Little Son's first - he was such a cutie!)
3. Dipsy the Teletubby (Little Son's second - again, too cute!)
4. Black Cat (Daughter - she was 2!)
5. Scooby Doo (Little Son)
6. Harry Potter (no, not Little Son, but Harry-Potter-Fanatic Daughter - even with the glasses and scar people thought she was Hermione. Ticked her off.)
7. Lady Knight (Daughter - she got on a knight kick, too, reading a series of books about a lady knight)
8. Pirate (Little Son)
9. Astronaut (Little Son)
10. Sandy from Grease (Daughter, who loved this movie in her pre-High School Musical days)

This year Daughter is going as a vampire cheerleader and Little Son as Phantom of the Opera. Happy Halloween, everyone!

Is my mommy gonna get lucky tonight?

It was several months ago, I believe - the USO Family and the Bubba's Sis Family were out together and decided to go to Barnes & Noble. We all head our separate ways in there - the men go one way, the women another, the kids yet another. So D and I are browsing about and we come across a table of High School Musical Magic 8 Balls. Cool! We decide to ask the Magic 8 Ball a question (come on, you know you would, too!). D picks one up and jokingly asks, "Am I going to get lucky tonight?" Her answer: "All signs point to NO." We giggle. Then we hear it. Unbeknownst to us, Daughter had walked up to the table, too, and thought she'd have better luck with another Magic 8 Ball....

"IS MISS D GONNA GET LUCKY TONIGHT?"

D and I just looked at each other, trying so hard not to laugh. Then Lamb joins in.

"IS MY MOMMY GONNA GET LUCKY TONIGHT?"

By now D and I are hysterical with laughter. Those sweet, innocent little voices asking such questions of a Magic 8 Ball! And not in a bookstore-quiet voice! People were starting to stare.

Apparently the girls couldn't get a satisfactory answer, so they kept asking,

"IS MY MOMMY GONNA GET LUCKY TONIGHT? IS MISS BUBBA'S SIS GONNA GET LUCKY TONIGHT?"

Now we are literally sitting in the floor, doubled over with laughter, tears rolling down our faces. The girls think we are upset because we're not going to get lucky. "Don't worry," they tell us. "You'll get lucky soon!"

If only they knew we were perfectly happy with "All signs point to NO!"

Someday, when they are much, much older and know what "getting lucky" really means, we will remind them of this incident. I can't wait to see their faces.

Drama Queens, Act II

Yesterday Drama Daughter and her BFF competed in the second Drama Festival of the school year - again, they competed in the same five events: Prose, Poetry, Storytelling, Group Acting, and Individual Improv. This time they each received FIVE Superior ratings (blue ribbons) and the coveted Five Star Trophy!

I expect Hollywood to be calling any day now.

Their next undertaking: UIL One-Act Play. They're doing Twelfth Night. I'm sure it will be fabulous!

Of Apple Pies, Orphan Trains, and Dancing Dogs

Because it's against the law to cook dinner at home on a Friday night in Texas (well, that's what I heard), D and I have taken to a Ladies' Night Out on most Friday evenings. Well, usually we take the kids with us, but not always. Tonight we did, but they sat at a different table across the aisle from us. We pretend we don't know them. D and I usually pick our restaurants based on the dessert choices. Our favorite is apple pie, and lately we have been jinxed in the apple pie department (both at Cheddar's, where they dropped it on the floor, and TGIFriday's, where they "just took it off the menu yesterday". Seriously. We almost cried.). Tonight we chose Chili's, even tho they don't offer a hot apple pie dessert. We just like Chili's. Much to our delight they now offer "mini desserts" - a small dessert in a shot glass - and one of the choices was caramel apple cheesecake, or something to that effect. Brilliant! So after snarfing up our Southwestern Eggrolls we each ordered one. Rather disappointing. NOT hot, full of raisins, and only fairly delicious. Oh well. Back to Cheddar's next time. Surely we won't be jinxed a third time, right? Right??

Apparently D and I take a long time to eat. It can't be all the talking we do. But for some reason all four kids finish up their meals WAAY before we do, and subsequently become bored. Now, they are very well behaved children - never make noise, complain, even get up from their table (which is how we can pretend we don't know them). But tonight's ploy to get us to hurry was long, sorrowful looks. Lamb pretended to sleep on Daughter's shoulder, while Daughter gave us her most pitiful expression. And they think WE embarrass THEM in public! D said they looked like they were on an Orphan Train. This made us crack up even more and take even longer to finish eating. That'll teach 'em.

Back at D's house, I was showing her my super-nifty new mp3 player I got for my birthday - she plugged one earbud into her ear, and I had one in mine. Surfing thru the songs, we started belting out "Raspberry Beret". We could totally be the next American Idols. D's dog Ty even started dancing along, pumping his body perfectly to the beat. I was impressed! Wait a minute. He's not dancing. He's......going to throw up! A hissy fit ensued, trying to get him outside before he barfed (didn't work), then trying to bribe one of the kids to clean it up ($5!! Also didn't work.) In the meantime Bear and Little Son are wandering about the house, needing scissors, tape, and "something heavy we don't need". Never a dull moment around here!!

Next time I'll tell about our precious daughters asking the Magic 8 Ball if their mommies are going to get lucky tonight.....

Friday's Feast #20

My 20th Friday's Feast!! Bon appetite!

Appetizer

Name a great website you would recommend to others.

The Breast Cancer Site - see the button on my sidebar!

Soup

On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how often do you dream at night?

Um....a 12! I dream every night VIVIDLY. Sometimes I wake up exhausted. I even dream if I take a nap!

Salad

Did you have a pet as a child? If so, what kind and what was its name?

We had a miniature schnauzer named Chamois. I guess I just love schnauzers because now I have two!

Main Course

If you had the chance to star in a commercial, what would you choose to advertise?

Disney World!

Dessert

What is your favorite kind of hard candy?

Life Savers

Wordless Wednesday - Snuggle Puppy

Ten Random Thoughts

The official Ten on Tuesday site has gotten off schedule - or I have gotten off schedule. Either way, I've already done this week's list, and next week's. So here's something else for your reading enjoyment - 10 random thoughts of mine:

1. I think Halloween has gotten totally out of control. The decorations, the costumes, the marketing. It's nearly as big as Christmas.
   
2. Speaking of holiday decorations, I really hate those big inflatable things people put in their yards.
   
3. I got an mp3 player for my birthday (the big surprise) and I L-O-V-E it! I have 710 songs on it and I like to just put it on "shuffle all" and then I never know what's coming up next. But I know I'll like it because I put it on there!


4. I am already bored with Survivor. The challenges are pretty cool, but there are no good "characters" on the tribes. Where's the Colby, the Rupert, the Jonny Fairplay? These people are boring, and now that Aaron is gone, not even good to look at.


5. In fact, I'm bored with several of the shows I started out watching this fall. I'm whittling down that list on my sidebar.


6. However, I am excited that The Amazing Race is coming back next Sunday (November 4).


7. I want to be Julianne Hough when I grow up.




8. I thought I might miss teaching dance this fall. I don't. But I do miss dancing, and I think my body misses the exercise. Gotta do something about that......


9. I thought I would hate having a part-time job at Hubby's work. I don't. It's not so bad.


10. Little Son's school is asking for money again. Why don't I just arrange to have our paychecks directly deposited into the PTA's account??

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Fall has arrived!

We finally got some cooler weather today - we woke up to temps in the 70's, but a front blew through, bringing some rainy, windy weather - and temps dropped to the lower 60's! Tonight it's supposed to be in the 50's!! Now some of you may not think that's too chilly, but that is 30 degrees colder than what we've been having the past few weeks, so to us....BRRR!

Friday's Feast #19

Happy Feasting!

Appetizer

If you were a dog, what breed would you be, and why?

I would just be a mutt with good characteristics of several breeds - loyal, loving, well-behaved, smart, and cute!

Soup

What does the color purple make you think of?

Oprah Winfrey

Salad

Approximately how long does it take you to get ready each morning?

30 minutes or less - I am very low-maintenance

Main Course

How many cousins do you have, and are you close to them?
I have three cousins - one on my father's side and two on my mother's side (one of which is Wendy Bird). I am very close to Wendy Bird - she's more like a sister than a cousin!

Dessert

Take your initials (first, middle, last) and come up with something else those letters could stand for. (Example: SFO = Sweet Funny Otter)

Just Damn Cute!

Wordless Wednesday - Kisses

What's your name?

Found this on USO Girl's blog and it looks fun!

RULES: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following...they have to be real places, names, things...nothing made up! You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

What is your name? Jill (gasp! I just revealed my real name!)
4 letter word: jump
Vehicle: Jaguar
TV Show: Jeopardy!
City: Jackson
Boy Name: Jacob
Girl Name: Jolene
Alcoholic Drink: Jack Daniels
Occupation: jockey
Something you wear: jeans
Celebrity: Johnny Cash
Food: jelly beans
Something found in a bathroom: Johnson's baby powder
Reason for Being late: jinxed
Cartoon Character: Jessica Rabbit
Something You Shout: Jackass! (I've been known to shout this at other drivers...heh heh.)

My Ten Favorite Halloween Candies

Trick or treat! It's Ten on Tuesday!

1. Laffy Taffy - banana is the best!
2. Tootsie Pops
3. Tootsie Rolls
4. Special Dark minis
5. Reese's cups
6. Butterfingers
7. Whoppers
8. Milk Duds
9. Skittles
10. Now & Laters

Change

When I was in high school I was friends with a brilliant young man who wrote a sonnet in my senior yearbook; here is an excerpt:

"Before the last tear falls away
A final word I'd like to give.
So take my thoughts and from this day
Fly forward and in bliss do live....

To win the war 'gainst pain and strife
Accept CHANGE as a way of life."

I much prefer the mantra, "Change is bad. Change is bad. Change is bad..."

Change is hard for me. Perhaps it is the Libra in me that doesn't like my scales to be thrown out of balance. I do understand that change is necessary in life, but it seems like things just change too fast! New neighborhoods and shopping centers pop up overnight, changing the landscape of the town I grew up in so fast I can barely keep up. Stores where I regularly shop remodel and move everything around so I go in and am immediately lost. My children are growing up much too fast - and I love who they are becoming, but I miss those baby days, too. Couldn't I have just had a little bit longer? And my body is changing. Bubba's Mom always told me it would when I got to be about this age (I think I can hear her snickering). Nothing drastic, mind you. But things are shifting, wrinkling, pooching. Why can't I just stay the way I have always looked? I liked my 24-year-old body!!

Things change at Hubby's work - not always for the better. Things change at our church - puts everyone in a tailspin. But change is necessary for growth, and if you're not growing, you are dying. I may not embrace change, but I must accept it.

But why does it always have to be so scary?

This is my cat.

Yes, it appears that this IS going to be my cat after all. However Mustachio turned out to be a girl kitty, so now her name is Delilah. We fed her and she was voracious - now she gets a little bit of milk every morning and some Fancy Feast every evening. She loves me.

Hey, there Delilah....

Friday's Feast #18

It's Friday already? Time for Friday's Feast!

Appetizer

When was the last time you were surprised?
when I opened my birthday presents last Sunday!

Soup

Fill in the blanks: My eyes are ________, but I wish they were __________.
My eyes are A PRETTY BLUE but I wish they were LESS WRINKLED AROUND THE SIDES.

Salad

If you were a Beanie Baby, what would you look like and what would your name be?

I would be a cute, furry sloth with a crown and my name would be Queenie! Right, D????

Main Course

Name two things you consistently do that you consider to be healthy habits.
get yearly checkups and mammograms, eat my veggies

Dessert

What brand of toothpaste are you using these days? Do you like it? Why or why not?

I actually had to go look! It's Crest. Toothpaste is toothpaste.

Wordless Wednesday - Night Light

Ten Things That Worry Me

What, me worry? My Ten on Tuesday offering for this week:

1. Breast cancer
2. Alzheimer's
3. my children - their health, their safety, their futures, everything
4. money
5. Hubby's health
6. Hubby's job
7. the lump on Good Girl Dog's side - what if it's a tumor?? She is 7 years old today.
8. that cat hanging around my house, thinking he lives here, meowing at my door every night
9. my upcoming flight to Florida in November
10. not living up to others' expectations of me

This is not my cat.

But he/she REALLY wants to be my cat. Here he/she is at the window beneath my kitchen cabinets crying, "Let me in!"

This cat belongs to somebody around here, altho he/she has no collar. The kids and I happened across (we'll say him) one day out on the driveway. We petted him and stuff. We said he should be named Mustachio because of the funny black moustache he has. Then we went on our way. Mustachio decided he liked us. A lot. Sometimes he sits at the front door and meows. Sometimes he comes and looks in the windows. I promise I have not fed him anything. He just loves me. And I can't stand to be cruel to him and shoo him away. Besides, he just comes back.

I am not really a cat person. Ask D. I pretend to like her cat because that's what friends do. But I must admit, this little guy is pretty friendly. Very loving. But I DO NOT NEED A CAT! I have two doggies who do NOT like this kitty hanging around!

Is it possible to be adopted by a cat?